Cherry laurel plant named ‘JOPRU3’

ABSTRACT

A new cherry laurel plant particularly distinguished by having a flattened globular plant shape with a broad spreading-upright habit and green and yellow-green foliage, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Prunus laurocerasus.

Variety denomination: ‘JOPRU3’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of cherrylaurel plant, botanically known as Prunus laurocerasus, and hereinafterreferred to by the variety name ‘JOPRU3’. ‘JOPRU3’ originated from anopen-pollination conducted in Biezenmortel, The Netherlands, July 2011between un-named and unpatented Prunus laurocerasus parent plants.

The seeds from the open-pollination were sown and plants were grownoutdoors for evaluation, where an individual plant designated ‘JOPRU3’was selected from the group of plants in Biezenmortel, The Netherlands,in 2013. In November 2017, ‘JOPRU3’ was first vegetatively propagated bysoftwood cuttings. ‘JOPRU3’ was found to reproduce true to type insuccessive generations of asexual propagation via softwood cuttings.

SUMMARY

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new variety when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Biezenmortel, The Netherlands.

-   -   1. A flattened globular plant shape with a broad        spreading-upright habit; and    -   2. Green and yellow-green foliage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new cherry laurel plant is illustrated by the accompanyingphotographs which show the plant's overall plant habit including form,and foliage. The photographs are of a 4.5-year-old plant grown outdoorsin Biezenmortel, The Netherlands and taken in May 2022. The colors shownare as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographicprocedures.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit of ‘JOPRU3’.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the new growth.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up of an individual mature leaf.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘JOPRU3’. The data which define these characteristicswere collected from asexual reproductions carried out in TheNetherlands. Data was collected on 4.5-year-old plants grown outdoors inBiezenmortel, The Netherlands in May 2022. The range of day temperatureswas 14° C. to 24° C. and the range of night temperatures was 4° C. to12° C. Plants were deeply pruned in late October 2020 and late October2021. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 6^(th) edition (2015).

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Rosaceae.        -   Botanical.—Prunus laurocerasus.        -   Common.—Cherry laurel; English laurel.        -   Designation.—‘JOPRU3’.-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Perennial, evergreen shrub.        -   Time to produce a finished plant.—About 2 years from rooted            cuttings to a sale-ready plant in a 2.5-liter container.        -   Appropriate container for producing a finished            plant.—2.5-liter pots and larger or field-grown.        -   Plant shape.—Flattened globular.        -   Growth habit.—Broad spreading-upright.        -   Average plant height.—64.3 cm.        -   Average plant diameter.—93.2 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Moderately high.        -   Vigor.—High        -   High temperature tolerance.—Unknown, but tolerant to            temperatures up to 35° C.        -   Low temperature tolerance.—About −13° C., but at least hardy            to USDA Zone 7.        -   Disease/pest resistance and susceptibility.—Similar to            other P. laurocerasus varieties.        -   Tolerance to wind.—High.-   Branches:    -   -   Habit.—Main stems grow from the base and near the base, with            lateral branches.        -   Basal branching.—Present.        -   Pinching.—Not required but will improve branching.        -   Number of branches per plant.—17 primary or main branches            and 13 secondary or lateral branches.        -   Branch length (both main and lateral).—Average is 24.7 cm.        -   Branch diameter (both main and lateral).—Average is 0.3 cm.        -   Internode length (both main and lateral).—Average is 2.6 cm.        -   Appearance and shape.—Moderately glossy; current year's            lateral branches are angled and older branches are rounded.        -   Aspect.—Average angle of 35 degrees.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Color.—Immature: Upper part is RHS 146C (Yellow-Green) and            slightly tinged with RHS 174A (Greyed-Orange) to RHS 174B            (Greyed-Orange) and lower part is RHS 144B (Yellow-Green).            Bark and older stems: RHS 143A (Green).        -   Internode color.—Slightly darker than RHS 143A (Green).        -   Pubescence.—Absent.        -   Lenticels.—General: Stems are sparsely covered with            lenticels. Length: 0.5 mm. Diameter: 0.5 mm. Color: RHS 199C            (Greyed-Brown) and RHS 199D (Greyed-Brown) on older stems            and are RHS N199C (Greyed-Brown) on bark.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement and type.—Alternate, single.        -   Number of leaves per branch.—Average is 10.        -   Shape.—Narrow elliptic.        -   Aspect.—Flat.        -   Apex.—Long apiculate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Slightly revolute, entire.        -   Margin undulation.—Slightly to moderately coarsely            undulating; no lobing.        -   Length.—Average is 11.7 cm.        -   Width.—Average is 3.5 cm.        -   Texture (both upper and lower surface).—Smooth and glabrous;            no pubescence; no rugosity.        -   Appearance.—Upper surface is glossy and lower surface is            matte to very slightly glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface: RHS 144A (Yellow-Green) to            RHS 144B (Yellow-Green). Lower surface: RHS 144B            (Yellow-Green).        -   Color.—Immature: Upper surface: RHS 175A (Greyed-Orange).            Lower surface: RHS 175C (Greyed-Orange) and fading to RHS            175D (Greyed-Orange) towards the main vein. Mature: Upper            surface: Slightly darker than a blend of RHS N137A (Green)            and RHS 147A (Yellow-Green). Lower surface: RHS 147B            (Yellow-green).        -   Petiole.—Length: Average is 1.1 cm. Diameter: Average is            0.2 cm. Color: RHS 143B (Green) for the upper part margins            are RHS 144B (Yellow-Green) and RHS 144A (Yellow-Green) for            the lower part. Texture: Smooth and glabrous. Appearance:            Upper part is slightly glossy and lower part is moderately            glossy. Strength: High.        -   Stipules.—General: Present on both sides of the petiole            base; stipules drop off when the leaves mature. Shape:            Lanceolate. Length: 1.5 cm. Width: 0.2 cm. Apex: Narrow            acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Sparsely, coarsely and            shallowly serrate. Color: Upper part is RHS 150C            (Yellow-Green) to RHS 145B (Yellow-Green) and lower part is            RHS 145C (Yellow-Green).        -   Glands.—General: Present at the base of each leaf and 1            gland on each side of the main vein; the presence of these            glands is typical for P. laurocerasus varieties. Diameter:            0.8 mm. Color: RHS 200C (Brown) and RHS 200B (Brown), but            lighter.        -   Fragrance.—Typical of species.-   Flowers/seed/fruit: Not observed to date.

COMPARISON WITH COMMERCIAL VARIETY

‘JOPRU3’ can be distinguished between the commercial variety ‘Jong3’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,891) in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Comparison with Commercial Variety Characteristic ‘JOPRU3’‘Jong3’ Plant height 64.3 cm 72.0 cm Plant diameter 93.2 cm 74.5 cm

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Prunus laurocerasus plantdesignated ‘JOPRU3’ as illustrated and described herein.